


Till It's All But You

by mirrorlad



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Aurors, Dark, Death, Emotional Manipulation, Hogwarts, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), No Fluff, Post-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, lots of death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:06:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25618561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirrorlad/pseuds/mirrorlad
Summary: After realizing Albus Dumbledore has obtained the blood pact, Gellert Grindelwald is prepared to go to terrible lengths to ensure that Dumbledore surrenders himself willingly before it can be broken.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	Till It's All But You

It was a rainy September night when a rather ragged looking owl carrying a brown envelope decided to invite itself into his room. For the past few hours, he had been grading the quizzes he'd recently given his third-years when the bird glided through his open window, proceeded to drop the note on his head, and flew out again.

It took him a few seconds to realize what had just happened, but when he did, he was understandably confused. He had not been expecting a letter from anyone, nor did he recognize the owl that carried it. To be fair, he had sent a message to Newt the morning before, but there was no way it could have reached him already. His former student was currently across the Atlantic Ocean in Argentina dealing with the trafficking of several Peruvian Vipertooths. Even if his letter did somehow manage to get in there in a day, it would take Newt at least yet another to write a reply and send it off. He frowned. Yet if it wasn’t from him, who was it? 

Reaching up, he fished the envelope from out of his hair. The paper was soft yet crisp, and in the center, his name was written neatly in white ink. Turning it over, he narrowed his eyes. The envelope was secured with a wax seal that bore the symbol of the Ministry. Circling around the insignia in tiny black letters read: **Department of Magical Law Enforcement.**

He let out a sigh. 

It had barely been a month since Travers’ last attempt to coerce him into fighting, but he had been foolish for thinking that had been the end of it. Despite Theseus’ newfound trust in him after Grindelwald’s rally, it didn’t seem to have spread to his superior. Travers still seemed to believe he was some sort of agent working on behalf of Grindelwald, though why he’d be employed at Hogwarts, a place farthest from the politics and secrets of the Ministry if he indeed was a spy, was beyond him.

Breaking open the envelope’s seal, he prepared himself for whatever interrogation or inquiry Travers was “inviting” him to now. Unfolding the creamy parchment from inside, he paused for a moment. The letter, unlike how his name had been on the front, was hastily written. The messy scrawl was nothing like the usual elegant and refined lettering the Ministry normally sent their messages in, nor did the handwriting belong to either Travers or Theseus as he had expected it to. Ignoring his confusion, he began to read.

_To Professor Albus Dumbledore,_

_I am writing to inform you that approximately three hours ago, around the time of 8 pm on the night of September 30th, I was called in to investigate reported: “strange, disturbing noises” and “loud yelling” coming from the Hog’s Head Inn in Hogsmeade. From what I had been informed with, it sounded as if an argument had turned violent, and I was tasked with confronting and breaking it up._

He felt an eyebrow raise. What was Aberforth up to now?

_Upon entering the Inn, I discovered the place in absolute disarray. It appeared that whatever quarrel had ensued did indeed escalate into what seems to be have been a full-on duel. However, as of right now, I have not found any direct eyewitnesses or potential participants of this duel. I will update you regarding any new information I do find._

_In regards to the Inn owner, and your brother, Aberforth Dumbledore, it is with my deepest regret and upmost apologies to tell you that he was killed in this occurrence._

He reread the line. Then again. Then once more. A sick feeling had started to bloom in his stomach. He felt dazed, but he continued to read, his mind oddly blank.

_As I stated before, I do not currently have any leads on who was behind this attack, but I do know that whoever it was used the killing curse upon him. I will be looking into this further._

_I understand you are the only living relative left of Mr. Aberforth. In situations like this, a team of Aurors will visit you soon in regards to questioning and will additionally ask of you to submit your wand for testing. Do not be alarmed, we are not accusing you of this crime. However, as the sole relation to Mr. Aberforth, you are naturally a candidate for suspicion. If you are not guilty, you have nothing to fear. Once again, my sympathies for your loss. The Ministry will look after your brother’s body until you choose to make funeral arrangements._

_With condolences,_

_Apostolos Dawlish - Auror Division_

The letter slipped from his fingers. Every muscle in his body felt numb, and for a moment he thought he'd forgotten how to breathe. The initial empty shock had worn off and his mind was beginning to flood with emotions. He hadn't felt this way since he was a boy. Since... _her_. He looked down at the hands, watching them begin to shake. This wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Aberforth... dead? No. It wasn't true. Even so, he could feel his eyes dragging back to the letter. To the signed name. To the official seal. He slipped his head into his hands, feeling a few tears prick at the corner of his eyes. He and Aberforth had never been close, even before... her death, yet it didn't stop the endless waves of anguish and grief. He should've been better. He should have been there for his siblings, and maybe... she would still be alive. Maybe he and Aberforth would be on better terms, and he could have prevented this from happening. He hadn't visited Aberforth in months, but if he had been better, he could've been there today. He could've stopped this.

He shook his head.

No. He couldn't have stopped this. Even if he and Aberforth were close, there was no way of knowing he could have prevented his death. Rubbing his eyes, he breathed deeply. There was no point in drowning himself in guilt. It wouldn't fix anything, and he knew that. No matter how hard he wished, he couldn't change the past. Merlin knew how many times he had tried.

He sighed faintly. Picking up the letter, he put it back into the envelope slowly before staggering to his bed. Lying down in the middle of it, he clutched the paper to his chest.

Besides, he didn't know the exact circumstances of Aberforth's death. There was no reason to treat it as if it had been a planned murder. For all he knew, it could have been a simple dispute that got out of hand with an angry customer. Aberforth always did have a habit of drawing his wand first and asking questions later. Who would even want to kill his brother, anyway?

He thought about that for a second. He definitely didn't have the best knowledge when it came to Aberforth's friends and enemies, (he wasn't entirely sure if the man had either), but he felt for certain that no one would be exacting some sort of revenge against him. After all, Aberforth ran an Inn. What kind of people could he have been possibly getting involved with to want him dead?

He thought about it again. Yet, after a few minutes, he couldn't come up with a single witch or wizard who might have it out for his brother. He nodded, trying to convince himself that he understood what had happened. Aberforth must have gotten into a fight with a customer or passerby. It was Hogsmeade, but the town did get its share of shady travelers coming in and out of it from time to time. Rolling over, he stuffed his face into his pillow, trying to wrap his head around everything that had just happened. While some of his shock had subsided, a good majority still remained, making it hard for him to truly believe what had become of Aberforth. He knew by tomorrow he'd likely be a mess after it sunk in, but for now, he was left to ponder his brother's fate till his head ached.

He didn't fall asleep until hours later, but when he did, it was restless and uneasy. He took the next day off and spent the morning meeting with a few Aurors that came around during breakfast. They still seemed a bit suspicious of him by the end of the questioning, but they didn't have any evidence against him even if they wanted to convict him. None of his wand's recent spells showed any signs of casting the killing curse, and no one in Hogsmeade could recall seeing him that night, so they let him go. By the end of the week, the Auror team still had no leads about what had happened, but they told him they would notify him if they discovered any. They returned Aberforth's body to him after they finished their examination. He couldn't bring himself to look at it.

He found his brother a lovely spot next to his mother and sister's graves. He knew it's what he would have wanted. Aberforth was a simple man, but family always came first to him, a trait he had come to admire. No one else attended the funeral, but to him, it was still rather nice. He hadn't visited his mother or sister in a while. Once the sun disappeared and the sky grew dark, he said goodbye to them all and headed back to Hogwarts.

He was glad he wouldn't have to bury another family member ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This first part is a bit short and boring, but I had to set things up slowly before things get interesting! The next five chapters will see far more death, hints of Grindelwald, and finally a confrontation, so sit tight. :)
> 
> (Also, if anyone is wondering, this is set only a couple weeks after the end of TCOG).
> 
> CURRENTLY ON HIATUS


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